


Work hard, play hard

by spockside



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Basketball, Friendship, Gen, Mild Language, Movie Night, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Strip Games, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-20
Updated: 2013-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-02 03:04:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1051769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spockside/pseuds/spockside
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is actually a lot of fun to hang out with when he's not fighting for his life, leading a ragtag group of elite heroes and assassins, and trying to prevent the city from being destroyed. It just takes a while for his teammates to figure that out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Thor and the shaving cream trick

**Author's Note:**

  * For [laylabinx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/laylabinx/gifts).



> For a prompt from the [avengerkinkmeme](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/11065.html?thread=23660601&) on LJ: 
> 
> "So the general consensus in the movie was Captain America is all work and no play, essentially making Cap a very dull boy. This may be true for Captain America but it's completely different for Steve Rogers. Steve is actually a lot of fun to hang out with when he's not fighting for his life, leading a ragtag group of elite heroes and assassins, and trying to prevent the city from being destroyed.
> 
> The others slowly but surely figure out that Steve is actually fun and goofy to hang around with and he's not quite so rigid and uptight as his Captain America persona would have everyone believe."

"Steven, my friend! I am in your debt!"  
  
Steve was just entering the bridge on the helicarrier when he heard the voice of Thor from across the room. His friend was standing beside the enormous table with Nick Fury, apparently early for the meeting, and he grinned broadly as Steve came up to him.  
  
"Really? What did I do?" Steve asked, already smiling; Thor's good humor was always infectious.  
  
"You told me of a trick you once played on your friend Dugan," said Thor. "With the shaving cream?"  
  
"Oh, yes," Steve remembered.  
  
"Not the loaded shaving cream wake-up call," said Fury. His own smirk was growing. "That's the oldest trick in the book."  
  
"I know, right?" Steve laughed. "Who'd you play it on? Fandral?"  
  
He'd met some of Thor's friends at a recent diplomatic conference between Earth and Asgard and he remembered Fandral as a bit of a ladies' man.  
  
"Better," Thor replied. "Volstagg. He has the most magnificent beard, longer and more envied than any except perhaps my father's, and of course finding him asleep was no challenge."  
  
"What did you use for ammunition?" Fury asked.  
  
"I confess that I borrowed some of Fandral's lathering soap," said the Norseman. "He has a plentiful supply, of course. There was a feast for - I forget whom - there's always a feast of some kind, and Volstagg is always there doing justice to the table.  
  
"Sif followed him to the room where the Warriors Three congregate of an evening, and she gave me a signal. I went on tiptoe - and by the All-Father, I am unused to stealth! - and filled Volstagg's hands with the lather."  
  
"Did you remember the feather?" Steve asked.  
  
"Oh, yes, it was Sif who brought that! A long feather from some decoration; I crouched behind our victim's head and tickled his nose with it from arm's length."  
  
By now Steve was laughing and Fury was grinning.  
  
"Volstagg is not the lightest of sleepers," Thor went on with relish. "Soon, however, his long nose began to twitch, he waved a hand once or twice, and then - then he jerked awake and clapped his hand over his face! It was splendid! He fell off his couch, and Sif and I laughed fit to burst."  
  
"And Volstagg?" asked Fury.  
  
"Roared with mirth also, once he woke enough to sort out the trick. I knew he would find it humorous." Thor slapped Steve on the back. "Well done, Captain. I had no idea you had such tricks up your sleeve."  
  
"Thanks," said Steve. "I can't take credit for it, though - that trick has been around since - well, forever, I guess."  
  
"I know I pulled the same thing in my time," Fury said. "On my XO. He never found out it was me or I'd have been on latrine duty for weeks."  
  
"Did anyone ever try it on you, sir?" asked Steve.  
  
Fury's smirk turned sly.  
  
"No one's ever caught me sleeping," he said.


	2. Avengers assemble!

Clint Barton wasn't prone to bumping into things or people - cat-like instincts and all that - so he swerved to avoid Tony Stark, who had stopped dead in the hallway.

"Hey, Stark," said Clint. "What's your hurry?"

"Barton! Come here a sec," said Tony, waving him in. He held up his phone and asked, "What does that say?"

Clint looked.

"It says 'Avengers assemble at Bailey's, 1900'," replied Clint. "Why do you ask?"

"It looks like it was sent from Steve's phone."

Clint looked again. "Well, yeah." He dug his own phone out and glanced at the screen. "Yep, same message on mine. See you then."

"Wait - "

Clint frowned. Tony was usually sharper than this. "You feeling okay, Iron Man? Maybe you need a drink now..."

"No, no - apart from a sense of pride that our Cap has mastered text messaging - why would he call a meeting in a bar?"

Clint saw reinforcements headed his way and flagged them down. "Hey, Bruce - Thor, come here a minute. Tony's freaking me out here."

"I think Steve's phone has been stolen," said Tony. "Look. Did any of you guys get this message?"

"I don't carry such a device," Thor reminded him.

Bruce patted his pockets and found his glasses but no phone. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Where is our fearless leader?" asked Bruce. "It's past five now."

"JARVIS?" Tony said.

"Captain Rogers left the building at approximately half past four," JARVIS responded immediately.

"What's so strange about the message?" asked Thor, reading the tiny screen Clint showed him and Bruce. "It appears he wants to meet at that bar we visited last week."

"It's a couple of blocks from here," said Bruce.

"Doesn't anyone else think it's weird? It doesn't even sound like Cap," Tony pressed.

Clint shrugged. "Be at Bailey's at seven and we'll see."

At seven on the dot, Tony strolled into Bailey's Sports Bar, glancing around. He'd been there many a time, but he didn't think Steve had, so he was mildly surprised to see the captain leaning on the bar, head tipped back, sucking down what looked like the last of his beer.

Thor, dressed in Midgard casual, seated on a bar stool next to - Darcy?! - was saying, or rather shouting, to Steve, "I've learned that not every establishment appreciates our custom of smashing one's glass on the floor."

Steve laughed; slamming his bottle on the counter, he shouted, "Another!" and Darcy snickered, just as Tony got through the crowd to stand next to them.

"Started without me?" he grinned.

"Stark! You're just in time. I will need more than one guide to this game, and Darcy claims only basic knowledge of it," said Thor.

"What game?" Tony looked up to the TV screens and saw the baseball game that was about to start. "You're watching the Yankees? Who are you people, and what have you done with Steve Rogers?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm rooting for Baltimore," grinned Steve. "Here come Clint and Natasha, we'd better find a table."

Thor and Cap moved out in search of a spot, and Tony followed, shaking his head and resolving to spend more time with the guy he thought of as just another stiff-necked authority figure.

"Avengers assemble." Indeed.


	3. Blind Man's Bluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have some gratuitous nudity and snarky banter. You're welcome.

III. Blind Man's Bluff

"Blind Man's Bluff?" Natasha repeated warily. "Is that even a game?"

"Sure," Bruce said. "All it means is that you can't see your own card, only the others', and you have to bet accordingly. You can play with any kind of cards as long as you agree on what scores and how much."

"Yeah, but do you have to stick it to your forehead?" Clint grumbled.

"Are you worried about looking silly, Clint?" Tony retorted. "And if so, how could you look sillier than *that*?"

He gestured at Thor, who sat grinning, muscular arms folded, playing card plastered on his forehead, facing out.

"Doesn't anything embarrass you?" Clint sighed and followed suit. Thor shrugged.

"Who will be more embarrassed if I win?" asked the Asgardian. "What are the stakes?"

"We all have to show our cards first," said Bruce, slapping his on his head. Natasha, Tony, and Steve all did the same.

"I have a good feeling about this," hummed Steve, half-closing his eyes and glancing around the table. "A very good feeling."

"I feel that feeling and raise you a hundred feelings," Tony smirked. "You are all going down, people."

"Dream on, Stark," said Natasha. "And ante up."

Of course, Bruce had stated up front that articles of clothing would be the stakes, and when Tony protested, his friend had just smiled that evil Hulk-like smile and said, "You don't have to play, Tony, but if you don't play, you don't get to watch."

"I'm okay with it. I was considering the Captain's delicate sensibilities."

Steve snorted. "I got sensibilities, Stark, but they're far from delicate."

Of course, shoes and socks were the first items to be offered up (by mutual agreement, the pot was piled on an end table instead of the table they played on, thus maintaining the fun by reducing the odor), with the usual ragging on each other about how often they laundered or changed.

"Can I throw in an article of underwear before my outerwear?" Steve asked at one point, when Bruce had won that round.

"Only if you can take it off without removing the outerwear," said Clint, but his eye was on Natasha.

"You only say that because you want me to demonstrate the bra-removal maneuver," she said slyly.

"Can't blame me for trying."

She just smiled and tossed in her hairband.

Steve shrugged and said, "Too much trouble," unbuttoned his shirt and balled it up to lob it onto the pile.

Natasha won the next three rounds and leaned back appreciatively to watch each of her opponents selectively disrobe. When they were done, Thor was wearing just his underclothes, Clint had on a pair of black satin boxers (Natasha's favorites), Bruce had on his boxers and shirt, and Tony and Steve were each wearing trousers, tank tees, and whatever lurked underneath.

Clint won the next round and Natasha demonstrated the aforementioned maneuver, deftly unhooking and pulling her bra out of her jumpsuit without flashing so much as an inch of additional skin. Tony, Bruce, and Thor lost their shirts ("As long as it isn't literal," Tony pointed out) and then they turned to see what Steve would choose to lose.

He was looking around at them, unabashed, as he stood up and unzipped his jeans.

"Slowly," said Clint. "Tony and I have a side bet on your choice of underwear."

Steve shook his head. "Sorry to disappoint you guys," he replied, shoving his pants down to reveal that he wore no underwear at all, whatsoever. Calmly he tossed the jeans onto the pile and sat down carefully on the wooden chair.

"Next time we play on something with upholstery," he grimaced. Thor had thrown his hands up in victory.

"I was also in on that bet," he said to Steve. "Gentlemen?"

"Later," Tony grumbled. "My wallet was in my pants pocket."

Natasha won the next round and that left Tony in his underwear and everyone else "buck-ass nude", as Bruce put it.

"Do you concede?" Tony asked, fixing Natasha with an evil eye as the others sat back to watch.

"Nope," she said. "Especially not to you, Stark."

"Last one standing, then."

The cards were dealt and shown, and Natasha lost. Tony sat back, looking smug, and she stood up and slowly unzipped the front of her jumpsuit, all the way down -

\- then reached inside it, gave a sharp tug, and pulled out a wisp of underwear, something more than a thong but less than a bikini, having torn the strings apart to get it off. She tossed it on the pile, zipped herself up demurely, and sat down to stare at Tony amid a general feeling of stunned admiration from the men.

"Do you concede?" she asked in her turn.

He did not, but lost fair and square and even did a strip tease with his last item while Natasha and the guys cheered.

"Now, as I don't really want to own a pile of men's clothing in various sizes and styles," she said, "you may retrieve your belongings."

She waved imperiously at the pile, but Steve held up a hand.

"I think we should play to get them back," he suggested. "What do you all say?"

Natasha narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I sense a trap," she said.

"No trap," said Steve cheerfully. "Come on, the night is young."

After a quick break, they all settled into their places again, with a fresh pack of cards. Steve won the very first round and went over to the clothing pile. Natasha could have sworn he was taking too long to get there, not to mention bending unnecessarily to paw through the pile.

She was certain of it when he straightened up and came back to the table, still nude, beaming, with an item that was not his own. Her bra.

"You want it back," he said easily, "you gotta win it."

She glared at him, then at the rest of them in turn.

"Game on, Captain America," she said, shuffling the cards.


	4. Shooting hoops

IV. Shooting hoops

Bruce Banner walked out of the elevator on the ground floor of Stark Tower and spotted a familiar golden-haired giant nearing the exit.

"Steve," he called, and the man stopped and turned as Bruce caught up to him. In fact, there were two tall blonds walking together - Steve and Thor, both in shabby-looking sweat clothes.

"Where are you guys headed?" Bruce asked.

"Rogers has challenged me to test my skills at the game of basketball," Thor replied. "We've been - "

He hesitated and Steve prompted, "Shooting hoops..."

"Shooting hoops, for several weeks. We have nothing like this game in Asgard."

Bruce wondered if everyone in Asgard tended toward the statuesque, and if so, how basketball court specs would have to be changed to accommodate them. His musings were cut short by the arrival of Dr. Foster, carrying a workout bag.

"Oh, are you going on this excursion, too?" she grinned at Bruce.

"Well, I wasn't planning to, but - "

Steve and Thor insisted, so the four of them took the subway to the YMCA near Steve's apartment, where they were given a court assignment.

"Half-court," Steve said apologetically. "They're kind of busy these days. Business has really picked up."

"Maybe it's because of those TV spots you did for the Y," Jane smiled at him.

Steve shrugged. "The Y's been good to me. I'm returning the favor. So, me and Thor first?"

The two giants went out to practice and Bruce sat on the bench next to Jane.

"So you play basketball?" he asked.

Jane grinned. "People tend to underestimate me, because of my size, but I can dribble and dodge all right. So when Thor started learning the game, he and I would practice, but seriously, those two? They're a match made in heaven. Brains and brawn both. Are you going to play, or do you want to swap in?"

"Oh, no, I'll just watch," Bruce said hastily. "I've only ever played with the kids in Kolkata and they were - a lot shorter."

When the blond bombshells (Jane's phrase) had warmed up, they came over to the bench. Thor held his hand out to Jane.

"Who will you choose to ally yourself with, Jane?" he asked. "Or would you like to play one on one with one of us?"

"I'll be on your team," she said, "if Dr. Banner will play on Steve's side."

"Um..." Bruce said, mildly alarmed. "Steve should know what he's getting into."

He described his limited experience and lack of confidence. Steve grinned.

"I have big faith in you, Doc," he said. "You don't have to if you don't want to. But I think you might have a good time with it."

Bruce decided that if Jane Foster was willing to play with the big boys, he could give it a shot, too. He was wearing sneakers already, and his usual worn out baggy pants, so he took off his button-down and left on his undershirt.

"Okay," said Steve, when they were all ready. "We're playing a variation on H-O-R-S-E. Thor suggested it - it's going to be called - " He snorted with laughter as he said it: "B-I-L-G-E-S-N-I-P-E."

"Holy crap," said Bruce. "What the - Do I want to know what a bilgesnipe is?"

"No," Jane assured him. "Really, you don't. All you need to know is how to spell it."

It was hysterically funny. None of them seemed interested in rules, which made sense, as Steve had learned to play in a vacant lot and Thor had learned from him.

At one point, Thor lifted Jane to sit on his shoulders and she made a shot from quite a distance away.

Bruce groaned. Steve grinned. "Come on, Doc. Up you get."

He went down on one knee and Bruce climbed up, feeling foolish. It was a strange feeling to be riding on the back of another adult, but Steve lifted him with ease and got into position.

"Right here?" Bruce said, eyeing the hoop. "I don't know, Steve..."

"You can do this," Steve said under his breath. "You don't need strength or reach for this shot. Just brains and eyes."

"Ah," said Bruce. That made sense to him, and though he wasn't a mathematician he could calculate angle and trajectory all right. He made the shot and his teammate bent down to let him dismount and gave him a high-five.

It was a close game, at the end of which Thor and Jane won and therefore were in charge of springing for a victory beer at a nearby bar.

"Next time, I want to play scientists on soldiers," Jane said to Bruce.

"You're on," Bruce grinned.


	5. Relevant to his interests

"Barton," said Coulson into his phone. "This will go better for you if you tell me your current location."

"No, sir." On the other end, Agent Barton spoke breathlessly, as if he were -

"Please," said Coulson. "Tell me you're not having sex right now. Tell me you didn't answer your phone in the middle of - whatever you're doing."

"Not having sex, sir, not at this time, really!" Barton made a sound like a shriek and Coulson heard another voice, a man's voice, in the background, guffawing. A regrettably familiar voice.

Coulson pressed a sequence of keys on his phone and glanced at the screen, then increased his pace until he stood outside the door of one of Stark Tower's apartments. He rapped on the door and heard more guffawing, followed by the door being yanked open by Agent Clint Barton. Barton's face was red and he seemed to be - giggling?

"Barton," Coulson said evenly. "Care to share the joke?"

Barton stepped back and made a grand "come in" gesture, closing the door behind Coulson once he was inside. Coulson followed the sound of poorly-muffled laughter and ended up in Rogers' living area.

"Agent Coulson!" said Rogers, getting to his feet. His face was beet red as well and he was grinning more broadly than Coulson had ever seen. He felt his own face spreading in a smile in response. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm actually looking for Barton," Coulson explained. "You haven't anted up for the Super Bowl pool yet, Barton. If you don't pay up right now, I'm taking your spot."

"Aw, for crying out loud," Barton said. "Steve, do you have fifty - ?"

Rogers' hands were raised and he was shaking his head. "Nope. Not for you, I don't. I still remember the bar tab snafu."

"That was last year."

"Last _month_ ," said Steve. Barton grimaced and made a show of digging in his pockets for money, coming up with a crumpled handful ofthat seemed to satisfy his superior.

"Want to join us?" Steve offered. "We're watching a movie. Clint recommended it and I gotta say it's - " He went off in another gale of laughter.

"I'm afraid to ask," Coulson said, eyeing Barton, who picked up a DVD case and tossed it at him. " _Robin Hood: Men In Tights_? This is what you're laughing your asses off over?"

Barton grinned and plopped down on the couch; Rogers followed suit, saying, "Come on, day's over, Coulson. I'm sure you could use a good laugh."

"If I do, it's usually Barton's fault," said Coulson, divesting himself of his jacket and parking in an armchair. "Start it over, I want to see that scene where he's in prison with Isaac Hayes."

**Author's Note:**

> If you recognized some of these activities from Chris Evans' other films...you're not wrong. ;p


End file.
